Primary pick
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Chase Ultimate
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $95
after $5,000 spend in 3 months
Iceland · Family trip points
Best credit card for a family trip to Reykjavik
Iceland is the family-friendly long-haul that doesn't feel like a long-haul. Few transferable-points hotel options — Marriott's Edition Reykjavik is the family pick.
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The honest math (family of 4, 5 nights)
420,000
points total · cash equivalent $5,225 · 1.24¢ per point realized
Flights
120,000 pts
Alaska Mileage Plan · 30,000/traveler RT
Hotel
300,000 pts
Marriott Bonvoy · Reykjavik Edition (Cat 7)
The two cards to earn for this trip
Sapphire Preferred earns UR transferable to United and to Marriott for the Reykjavik Edition. Venture X adds Capital One miles' broad transfer flexibility plus the travel insurance you want for an international trip with kids. Iceland is a harder destination for award flights — be ready to pay cash for one leg if award space is tight.
Apply for Chase Sapphire Preferred
Pair with it
Capital One Venture X
Capital One
- Welcome bonus
- 75,000 pts
- Annual fee
- $395
after $4,000 spend in 3 months
Verified 2026-05-29
FAQ
How many points does a family of 4 actually need for Reykjavik?
420,000 points total covers a family of 4 with 5 hotel nights at saver / off-peak pricing — 120,000 for flights (Alaska Mileage Plan at 30,000/traveler round-trip) and 300,000 for the hotel (Marriott Bonvoy at 60,000/night). Cash equivalent ≈ $5,225, which works out to about 1.24¢ per point.
Why these two cards specifically?
Sapphire Preferred earns UR transferable to United and to Marriott for the Reykjavik Edition. Venture X adds Capital One miles' broad transfer flexibility plus the travel insurance you want for an international trip with kids. Iceland is a harder destination for award flights — be ready to pay cash for one leg if award space is tight.
What if I already have one of these cards?
If you already have one, look at whether you've actually earned that card's welcome bonus and the second-card pick still makes sense on its own. If both are already in your wallet, run the Reykjavik math in the Family Trip Calculator with your actual scenario — you may already be close to the point total without a new application.
Should I apply for both at once?
Generally no — space applications 60–90 days apart so each welcome bonus has a clean spend window and neither pulls double-counts against Chase's 5/24. The Family Trip Calculator's earning math assumes one welcome bonus at a time.